Improvement in automatic sugar-purging apparatus



C. PLAGGE.

AUToMATIc SUGAR PURGING A1=-PA1=LAT-1,rs.l

Patented June 12, 1877.

4. Tw M A f Lv UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

oHAELEs BLAGGE, 40E NEW YORK, N. Y.

`lliflPRovEMEnl-r iN AToMATlc SUGAR-PURGING APPARATUS.

. Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 192,004, dated June 12, 1877; application filed `November 14, 1876. K i

i To all whomjt't may concern: r

it known.y that L'GHARLES PLAGGE, of `the city, county, and State of New York, have-r .invented an: Automatic Purging` Apparatus Ifor Purging Sugar; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had .to the accompanying drawing, which forms cutoff plate, lF, Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The upper part of this specification.`

In the processof purging sugar, as heretofore principally conducted,l the dark-colored Asirup which adheres to the crystals of sugar ,when it is drawn from the vacuum-pans, inl the state technicallyknown as green sugar,7

is purged from the said crystals bysuccess- 'g ivelypouring upon the green sugar, when run into molds, sirups of various grades of whiteness, proceeding from dark to lightcolored sirups, and ending with a pure white sirup, such sirups filtering through the sugar in the molds, and each lighter-colored sirupdisplacing a darker-colored one, till the crys- 3 tals are purgedor washed and freed from dis,- coloration. The sugar is then drained, which ,completes the operation. u, In this tedious method the sirups required for the purging are inaccurately apportioned .to the sugarito bepurged, the sirups being@ frequently used in larger quantity than is necessary to perform the purging were the sirups economically applied; and the process is "unnecessarily prolonged on account of the time required for the filtration of' the excess `of sirups used. v

It is the object of my invention to facilitate the process of purging, to render its execution `much more convenient, and provide for thel accurate and automatic apportionment ofthe `purging sirups orliquors; and my invention consists in an -apparatus for securing these desirable results. i

Figure 1 in the accompanying drawing represents a front rview of the apparatus. Fig.2

is a vertical Acentralsection through the same. Fig, 3 is a horizontal section on the line a; a: in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line `y y in Fig. 2. i

i A, Figs, 1, 2, and 3, is a pipe, through which .thegreensugar is conveyed to the molds at- -tached to the purging apparatus directly from the receiver B, or the molds lmay be filled and afterward attached tothe purging'apparatus. `The lower end of said pipe A is attached to a xed circular plate, C. From'the center of thel platev G extends downward a cylindrical projection, d, Fig. 2, threaded on its lower part to receive the nut E.

Fitted accurately to the said cylindrical projection d, for a bearing, is a. mold-carrying part of the plate F is also accurately fitted t0 the under side of the plate'U, and holds snugly against the said plate C by the nut E, but not so snuglyas to'prevent its turning freely on the projecting bearing d.

The interior of the pipe A and a passage,

g, Fig. 2formed in the plate 0, constitute a .i

i terminates on the under side of theplate F in i one of a series of recesses, i, Fig. 2, arranged at equal distances from each other, and from the center of said plate, the arrangement of said recesses being shown in outline in Fig. 3.

Intothe saidrecess'esz' 4are tted the tops of the sugar-molds K, Figs. land 2. Said molds K are heldup into the said recesses by a suitable clamping or attaching device, which'permits their ready removal i, and easy attachment.

The clamping devicefpreferred is shownf-*in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. It consists' in a T-shaped body, lo, having rods l at the endsof two'of its` arms, which rods pass through theplate F, and turn under a ange, m', formed on the top of the mold K. At the end of the other arm, which extends radially outward, lis, a

link, n', having a notch, o, Vwhich allows yit to close down and ,engage the under side of said flange fm. Through the body c'is passed a set-screw, p', which, when the parts are adjusted, as described, tightly clamps the molds to the said plate. y

At the top of each sugar-mold is placed a strainer, 6, of wire-gauze, or a reticulated plate, the perforations in which are of sufficient fineness to prevent the passage of crystallizedsuganbht which permit the passage ot'isirups. From the top of eachvstrainer l rises ashort tube, m, Fig. 2, which meets one ot' the passages h in the plate F, theinterior4 of said tube m forming a continuation of the said passage h through the said plate F, into. the corresponding mold attached'to said plate below said passage.`

In theplate C1 are formed passages u, Figs.

l 23nd 3, said passages being so placed as to be on radial lines between the centers of the recesses t, and the center ofthe plate C, whenever any one ofthe passages'hin'theplate F- is brought under the passage g in the plate G.-

When the plates are placed, as described, in relation to each other each of the passages ncommunicates withy corresponding recess,

yt', in-the plate Fabove the strainer l in said ywith receptacles 'forthepurging-sirups by suitable pipes, provided with cocks'p, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, said cocks being-operated as herein. after described. The plugs of the cocks p are turned by weighted leversv r, the vweights s being attached tothe short arms of said levers to opensaid cocks, andthe long arm of said levers being connected withY apportioni'ngbuckets T by cords or other flexible lconnectors passing through a hole, u, Figs. 2 and-3, inthe center ofthe plate C, and a hole, W, in the floor' or platform V, upon which the operator stands in working 'the apparatus, and over pulleysv c c ,to close said cocks as hereinafter described. ln the said'ioor or platform V are pierced holes'w, Figs. land 2, arranged to lie under the molds K when any` one ofthe passages hin the plate F is brought under the passage g in the plate C; and under each of said holes a', except the one under the said passage g inthe plate O,"is placed one of the app'ortioningbuckets T.

Each of said apportioning-buckets is counterpoi'sed by a weight, b, attached to said buckets byfa cord, c, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, running over' pulleys e e', for which cord and pulleys a lever may be substituted, if desired.

Each apportioning-bucket, T, is provided with a dischargefcock, f', Figsfl and'2, the plug of which' is turnedby a weighted lever, the weight g being placed on the long arm of said lever, and a li`ting-cord,'h',V attached to said lever passes up throughl a centralfhole, W, in the floor or platform, within easy reach of the operator.

The cords attached to the weights g of the several discharge-cocks f are united into or to a single cord above the platform Win such manner that, by drawing up such cord, the

`said discharge-cocks may be simultaneously opened, the weights g closing said cocks when the said y'cord is slackened.v

Below each `apport'fioning-'bucket is placed a collecting-receptacle, H, to collect the diseharged'sirups and keep separate the different grades of'sirups used in the several molds,

as hereinafter described, said sirups being drawn from said receptacles for further use.

The apparatusmay be'constructed toemploy any convenient number of molds, but at leasttwo must be used. The operation of the apparatus is as follows: l

The operator turns lthe plate F till one of thepa'ssages h in said plate is brought fully under the passage g in the plate G, which can be accurately done by guide-marks on the plate F and plate C by automatic stopping devices orany other convenient method. The green sugar then runs in and fills the mold thus brought under the passage 'g in the plate (l, but is prevented from rising to the top of the recess i over said mold by the strainer l at the top of the mold hereinbefore described. When the first mold is thus filled-theA operator turns the plate FA to bring another mold under the passage g. This brings vthe recess' at the top of thcilled mold, under one of the series of passages wformed in theplate C,

through which the first grade ofthe purgingsirups employed passes into the spacein-the `recess above the strainer l. Said strainer d-i-stributes the sirup, andcaus'es it toliilterv uniformly throughall parts of the sugar contained in the mold below. By experiment`,fthe amount ot'- 'sirup necessary lto vtilter'through, asdescribed, isascertained, and the -apportioningbuckets T belowv the molds are counter-poised,

4so that they will fall Whenever thisamount lisfreached. In falling they pull 4upon'th'e eXible-connectors c, which act upon the cocks p toont oft' the flow of purgingsirups. The sugar in the first-filled mold is lthus `partially purged, while the `second mold inforder is filling with green sugar, and when the proper amount of purging-sirup-is lpassed throughthe said tirst-'lled mold, which is'i'ndicated bythe automatic turning of the cock p in the pipe which conveys the purging-.Sirup to said mold, theoperator lifts the cord h connected with; the cocks fin the bottoms of v the apportioning-buckets, which allows the contents of said buckets to'discharge. Then he slackens thesaid cord h', which allows the cocks f to be'closed by the weighted levers. vThe counterposes b then lit'ttheapportioningbuckets, draw upon the cords c, andfopen-the cocks p to allow the purging-sirupstopass again when the passages n; which'are stopped yby the cut-olf plate F inturnin'g the same, are again brought into communication with the'- recesses t' in the proper position-'of the plateF for lling the next successivemold. This process is repeated until-all the'molds are filled, lighter-colored grades of purgingsirups heilig successively passedthrou-gh said molds to complete the purging. Thenthe-operator takes off from the plateF the rstlled mold and puts on an .empty one, and thereafter the process becomes continuous,l all the filled vmolds undergoing the purging process while the unfilled lmold is -ill-ing.

The sirups used for purgingfmaybemade to pass through the molds Yunder pressure,l or

192,004 i t s other agents, such as steam or air, may be blown through the molds in the latter part of the purging ot' the sugar contained in said molds; or the lower part of the molds may be connected with an exhausting apparatus to force out the remaining liquidy by atmospheric f pressure.l To indicate the complete passage of the purging-sirups whistles or bells may be used,`said Whistles or Ybells being sounded when the cocks p are turned to cut oli' the How of said, sirups.V

I claim-. i

1. The combination of the xed plate C, having the passages n and g, the'mold carrying and arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination oi' the mold -carrying cutfoi' plate, the molds K, and a clamping device for attaching said molds to said plate, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of the pipe A, the plate G, having passage g, and the plate F, having passages h, the strainers l, and the short tubes m attached to the latter, and arranged to form a continuous passage from the receiver B when the said parts are brought intorelation with each other, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination, with the revolving plate F and the molds K, ofthe strainers l, constructed and arranged to allow green sugar to iiow into the mold for lling said mold, and purging-sirups to subsequently pass into said molds for purging the contained Y sugar, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

CHARLES PLAGGE. 

